A few nights ago, Hiro had a rare case of the snores. Really loud. I grabbed my headphones and headed to the recliner in the living room. As I reclined, I knocked a sorted tray of beads onto a blanket on the floor, spilling them all (and their labels). Never again.
When Japan re-opened to the West in the latter half of the nineteenth century, visitors to Edo, newly rechristened as TĹkyĹ, often remarked on the sanctioned, well-run pleasure quarters. Follow me down a research rabbit hole and learn about the women (and men) who worked there.
Tahoma Tour 9 We had barely left Paradise when I pulled over again. Edith Creek is more of a rock-strewn waterfall that far up the mountain but waterfalls call to me.
Tahoma Tour 8 We reached the pinnacle of our journey at Paradise. After a quick bio break, Hiro and I found the visitor centerâs snack bar, paid too much for hot dogs, and watched chipmunks steal scraps. We then walked to the inn to soak up some ambiance.
Tahoma Tour 7 Like many of the tourists we spoke with at Reflection Lakes, we were disappointed that Tahoma wasnât reflecting. But it was late in the day and there was some wind. Leave it to Hiro, however, to alert me to a different reflection.
Mindfulness is supposed to ground us in our present. But what if the present sucks? What if I'd rather be grounded in the past or, better yet, the future? And never mind the tangents. I got where I aimed to go.
Tahoma Tour 6 After stopping at Box Canyon, we continued the drive upward on Stevens Canyon Road. There's a hairpin turn just above Unicorn Creek, and once we passed it, I had to pull over for the view of both Stevens Ridge, with its slide scars, and of Tahoma herself.
Tahoma Tour 5 I find it divinely ironic that I, a 6'5" queen, am afraid of heights. Quaking the entire time, I stood on the bridge over Box Canyon and did my best to take photos without looking down. But the photos didnât capture just how high above the creek I was.
Tahoma Tour 4 We parked at Sunrise Point to have lunch (Hiro made a selection of onigiri and I brewed some barley tea). Hiro also captured what might be my all-time favorite photo of the two of us.
The first destination for our grand Tahoma tour was the visitor center at Sunrise, on the eastern side of the park. Thankfully, we needed to hike for a little to find good views. Emmons Vista, just south of the visitor center parking lot, was perfect.
